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Release Date: October 30, 2007
For Immediate Release
Office of the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding
Contact: Brendan LaCivita, 202-572-8878
New Orleans, LA. -- Donald E. Powell, the president’s top official for Gulf Coast rebuilding, today addressed attendees of the 18th Annual Journal of Commerce Breakbulk Transportation Conference and Exhibition. The conference, hosted by the Port of New Orleans at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, focused on the possibility of new transportation routes, cargo liability and logistics, and security, among other challenges facing the transportation and shipping industries. Powell emphasized the crucial roles the Port of New Orleans and the transportation and shipping industries play in the nation’s economy and security.
“After Hurricane Katrina, the folks here at the Port of New Orleans, recognizing their responsibility to the nation, pulled themselves up by the bootstraps and charged ahead in such a way that within a year, were back to their pre-Katrina cargo levels,” stated Powell. “The port’s recovery is part of the life line of the nation and this city, and I am pleased to be here today and say ‘the city of New Orleans is open for business.’”
Cargo handled by the Port of New Orleans has a significant impact on the economy and security of the nation. Three-hundred eighty thousand jobs in the U.S., including 160,500 jobs in Louisiana, are dependent on the cargo handled by the Port of New Orleans, and $37 billion in national economic output is supported by the port’s cargo. And military supply vessels that belong to the ready reserve fleet are docked at the Port of New Orleans. Recognizing the importance of the port, the federal government has committed nearly $40 million in infrastructure repair and replacement to its facilities.
The Port of New Orleans is a leading entry point for industrial products such as steel, rubber, forest products, and non-ferrous metals. Five port jurisdictions are located between Baton Rouge and the mouth of the Mississippi River, which collectively form the world’s largest port corridor. After Katrina flooded the city, the Port of New Orleans restored its operations by working its first ship within two weeks. It reached 80% of its pre-Katrina ship calls within six months and it reached 100% of its cargo tonnage within one year.
“When people ask about the recovery of the Gulf Coast region, I always start by telling them about the Port of New Orleans and its courageous staff,” Powell said. “Their fortitude to get the port up and running had a tremendous impact on the economy and security of the nation and I look forward to their continued contributions.”
For the last twenty-three months, the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding has been engaged in facilitating and streamlining various components of the recovery effort, providing key federal support and resources to local leaders, and reinforcing the federal government’s commitment to the people of the Gulf Coast.
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This page was last reviewed/modified on October 30, 2007.